"Cass!"Dakota
shouted again and threw her legs out in front of her, sliding along her backside
on the ground in front of Cass to break her fall. Cass fell safely into her
arms and Dakota's momentum took them out into the hall. Dakota breathed
a sigh of relief and looked down at the woman in her arms. She pushed Cass' hair
off her face. "Cass! Cass, wake up."She gently nudged her, trying
to rouse her from unconsciousness. She lightly rubbed her face, but couldn't
wake her. "Come on Cass, what's going on?"She grew more
nervous and struggled to stand with the heaviness of Cass' dead weight
in her arms. She moved onto her knees and gathered Cass into her arms. She
lifted her up as she stood. "Cass wake up you're scaring me!"Her
tone was anxious and her heart beat relentlessly. "Jimmy!"She
shouted and carried Cass towards a stretcher in the hall.

"Kody?"Jimmy
looked out the door of the adjacent room. "What's going on?"He
rushed out of the room when he saw Dakota carrying Cass.

"Get
that stuff off the stretcher."She barked and carried Cass to it as he
scurried to remove the books.

"What's
going on?"He asked nervously.

"She
passed out. Get me the smelling salts."She laid Cass on the stretcher
and glanced back at Jimmy who rushed into the room she had just come from.
She looked back at Cass and laid her limp body out on the stretcher. She moved
the hair off her face and placed her fingers against her neck to feel her pulse. "Whew."Dakota
was relieved when she felt her it. "What's wrong with you? Come
on, wake up Cass."She gently nudged her.

"Here,
this should wake her up."Jimmy offered the small white packet.

Dakota
cracked the small package open and leaned over Cass. She moved it under her
nose with no response and passed once more.

Cass woke
with a start and jumped up from the foul order she smelled. "What is
going on? Where am I? What are you doing to me?"She was agitated, scared
and in a panic.

"It's
okay, you passed out."Dakota told her in a calm tone.

"What?"Her
eyes widened and she looked at her surroundings, trying to figure out what
had happened. She tried to calm her labored breathing and her racing heart
from the fright. She looked into Dakota's calm blue eyes and felt more
at ease.

Dakota
stared into her terrified green eyes. "It's okay Cass you are safe."

Cass stared
at her and everything began to come back to her. "I have to go."She
said nervously and moved to get off the stretcher, but Dakota blocked her way.

"Cass,
wait. You should sit here. You passed out and you don't want that to
happen again."Dakota tried to reason with her.

Dakota
relented and stepped aside. She stood staring at her as Cass jumped off the
stretcher.

Cass pushed
the hair off her face and looked to the floor for her backpack. She walked
hurriedly to it and picked it up. She stood up and threw it over her shoulder,
breathing heavily. She ran down the hall towards the elevator.

Dakota
looked at Jimmy and both had a bewildered look on their face. Jimmy shrugged
his shoulders at Cass' reaction. "Dude, can you keep an eye on
the room for me. I'll be right back.”

"Sure."He
watched as Dakota ran down the hall towards Cass.

"Come
on damn it! Open!"Cass hit the button frequently, frustrated with the
delay of the elevator.

"Cass,
wait."Dakota shouted out as she approached.

Cass looked
at Dakota and looked back at the button. She pushed it more aggressively as
if it would make the elevator get there faster. "Please leave me alone.”

"You
should have told me there was a dead body there!"Cass shouted, in tears
and glanced down at her hand that shook uncontrollably.

"I'm
aah…"Dakota was interrupted when Cass rushed through the doors
to the stairs. She had to get out of there and fast. She felt her throat begin
to close and she grew nauseous. "Cass, wait!"Dakota shouted out
and ran through the door. She looked down the stairwell and lost sight of her. "Shit!"She
walked back into the hall and hurried towards the lab room.

"What
was up with her?"Jimmy entered the room after Dakota.

"I
have no idea, but I'm going to find out."Dakota was gathering
her strewn books and shoved them into her backpack in a rush. "I need
a favor. Can you put Mrs. Gitane back for me?"

"Sure.
Let me know what happens with your friend."He smiled and moved the cover
up on the dead woman.

Dakota
looked back from the doorway. "Thanks man, I will."

He looked
up and saw that Dakota was gone. "I promise to take good care of you
Mrs. Gitane."He smiled and wheeled the woman across the lab room.

***

Cass burst
through the door of her room and slammed it behind her. She rushed into the
bathroom out of breath and kneeled before the toilet. She couldn't control
her nausea and vomited again after stopping frequently on her way back. When
she finished she sat on the floor next to the tub and wiped away the tears
that streamed down her face. She breathed deeply to calm the nausea and the
fear she felt. She closed her eyes and saw a flash of a dead woman. "NO!"She
opened her eyes and stood up. "NO, I'm not going to remember!"She
shouted angrily and wiped her mouth as she stood up. She brushed her teeth
and tried to do the same to her thoughts. No matter how hard she fought them
her tears would not leave her. She continued to cry and rubbed her trembling
hands together to make them stop. She walked to her bed and laid down. She
moved into a fetal position and cried harder. She looked towards the door when
she heard a knock. "Go away!"

"It's
Dakota. I wanted to make sure you were okay."

"Please,
just leave me alone."Cass said softly and rolled over. She began to
sob harder.

Dakota
leaned her head against the door and heard Cass crying. Not satisfied with
Cass' answer she turned the door knob and opened the door hesitantly.
She looked inside and saw Brooke's bed unoccupied. She stepped inside
and closed the door behind her quietly. She walked towards Cass' side
of the room. "Cass, I'm worried about you."She said softly
as she quietly approached her bed. "I'm sorry that I didn't
tell you about the cadaver, I just assumed you knew that there would be one
there.”

Cass wiped
her eyes and stared at the wall before her, angry that she didn't respect
her wishes of being alone. "Well you're assumptions were wrong."She
snapped and inhaled deeply, trying to keep from crying.

"I'm
aware of that and I apologize. I didn't imagine you would react that
way."Dakota stood looking down at her.

Cass half
rolled over and looked at her. "How did you expect me to react? I'm
terrified of seeing dead people!"

"I
didn't know! How in the hell am I supposed to know what you are afraid
of? Am I supposed to read your mind?"Dakota's tone grew angry. "You
asked me for help with Gross Anatomy and in that class you have to dissect
a cadaver. You knew that when you signed up for the class.”

Cass rolled
away from Dakota and looked at the wall. "I had no choice."She
said softly.

"What
did you say?"Dakota questioned and moved closer to the bed to her the
answer better.

"I
said I'm afraid of being around dead people."

Dakota
furrowed her brows together. She didn't quite hear what she said before,
but believed Cass wasn't being truthful with what she had just said.
She inhaled and then exhaled softly as she chose her words to not offend her. "How
did you expect to get through this class then?”

"I
wasn't sure. I guess I was hoping the day I had to face one would never
come. It was stupid to think that way."Cass began to cry and tucked
tighter into the fetal position.

Dakota
felt a pang of pain in her heart as she heard Cass cry. She sat on the bed
next to her. "Hey, don't worry about it. We'll figure out
some way for you to be able to deal with the cadavers."She put her hand
on Cass' leg and patted her comfortingly. There was a prolonged silence
and Dakota kept her hand there. It remained until Cass stopped crying. "If
you are feeling better I'll head out and let you go to sleep."She
moved to stand up and was stopped by Cass' hand that grabbed her wrist
tightly.

"Don't
leave just yet, please."Cass pleaded looking up from her fetal position.
She was unnerved and felt alone.

Dakota
looked down at Cass' hand on hers and felt the desperation in her grip.
She looked at Cass and saw the fear in her tear-filled eyes. She shifted onto
the bed and smiled warmly. "Sure, I'll stay until Brooke comes
back."Her heart ached from the sadness she saw in Cass' eyes.

Cass smiled
slightly and laid her head back down. She loosened her hold on Dakota's
wrist and moved her hand on top of Dakota's. Dakota stared down at their
hands and inhaled deeply from the wonderful sensation she felt from Cass' hand. 'What
is going on with you? What is your story? What happened to you since softball
camp? Why don't you remember me and our…' Dakota's
thoughts were disturbed when Cass rolled onto her side and now faced her. She
watched as she moved into the fetal position, still clutching her hand. She
smiled when she heard Cass' light snore. She sat on the floor and leaned
back against the twin bed. She tried to move her hand and Cass moved it closer
to her. 'It doesn't look like I'm getting my hand back.' Dakota
smiled and stared at Cass as she slept. 'You are so beautiful.' She
shifted her weight onto her right hip and moved her body against the bed. She
leaned her head down on her arm and stared at Cass happy that the woman still
clutched her hand.

"Hello,
I'm Cassandra Storms, but you can call me Cass."She smiled and
extended her hand.

Dakota
was caught off guard by the attractive girl who stood before her. "Hi,
I'm Dakota Colby, but my friends call me Kody."She smiled and
shook her hand. She felt an instant rush of warmth throughout from the soft
touch of her hand. Her heart raced as she looked into the piercing green
eyes before her.

Cass
moved closer to her, continuing the hold on her hand. "It looks like
we are going to be roomies for camp and I look forward to getting to know
you better."She smiled flirtatiously and winked.

Dakota
wasn't sure how she should act or what to say, but knew she was quite
intrigued by the beautiful girl and was pleasantly surprised by the effect
she had on her. "Me too."She said softly lost in Cass' fixed
gaze. She swallowed hard when she felt Cass slowly release her hand, staring
deep into the depths of her soul. She smiled when Cass did the same and stepped
away from her. She followed her every move with her eyes as she watched her
walk to the bed. She still felt Cass' hand on hers as she looked her
up down, while Cass unpacked her bag. 'She's absolutely gorgeous.'

Dakota was suddenly brought back to reality when she felt Cass move. She gazed
at her and her heart raced from the sight of her peacefully sleeping. 'Why
are you so mysterious? At times, you infuriate me and others you make me want
to hold you and never let go.' She felt her eyelids grow heavy.
She blinked her eyes with one last vision of Cass' sweetly sleeping face
before she fell asleep.

Chapter 8

Cass woke
when she heard a door close in the distance. She stared into the face of her
idol that lay sleeping next to her. She looked down at their hands that were
still clutched. 'What is going on? Did I hold her hand or did she
hold mine?' She tried to remember the previous night. 'Did
this cad try to put the moves on me when I was so upset?' She thought
hard and remembered that Dakota told her she would stay until Brooke came back.
She remembered how frightened she felt and despite their rocky moments, how
safe Dakota made her feel. She gazed at the sleeping beauty before her. 'How
can you be such a contradiction? Either you're really a caring person
who hides behind a façade or you're trying really hard to get
into my pants.' She thought of what Brooke had told her about Dakota
and her conquests. She frowned and moved her hand away from Dakota's.

Dakota
felt Cass move her hand and opened her eyes. "Hey, how are you feeling?"She
smiled slightly and lifted her head. She moved her head side to side and felt
the crunching in her neck from her unusual sleeping position.

"Better,
I suppose."She felt uncomfortable and sat up. She was embarrassed by
the events of the night before and felt that Dakota had taken advantage of
the situation. She rose from the bed and walked into the bathroom. She began
to brush her teeth and looked in the mirror. 'I look like shit!' She
ran her hands through her reddish-brown hair to bring some semblance of order
to it.

Dakota
stood up and stretched her body. 'I take it she's not grateful
for my kindness.' She walked to the door and exited quietly. She
walked down the hall quickly and exited out into the bright sunlight. 'I
thought she would be more appreciative. Why do I even bother?' She
ran her hands through her hair to push it off her face. She picked up her pace
for the long walk across campus to her house.

Cass finished
brushing her teeth and walked out of the bathroom. She was baffled as to where
Dakota had disappeared to. She stepped out into the hall and looked to her
left, then to her right. She didn't see her. She walked back into her
room and looked out the window. She saw Dakota off in the distance walking
away. The thought that Dakota didn't try to take advantage of her crossed
her mind. Suddenly, she felt bad that the woman had slept on the floor all
night. Her lack of gratitude with Dakota was evident. 'You are beautiful,
you excite me, I want to be with you, but I can't risk my heart to you.' She
stood watching until she disappeared and turned her back to the window. She
inhaled deeply and exhaled. 'You need to find someone else to think
about. Forget about being attracted to Dakota, she'll only break your
heart.' She was resolved she would put her attraction to Dakota
aside and would keep their interaction with one another as casual teammates.

***

"Whoa,
look what the cat drug in!"Owen greeted with a chuckle when Dakota entered
the house.

"Funny."She
smirked and walked to the coffee pot. She pulled out a mug and poured a cup.

"It
looks like she wore you out. Who was she?"Her brother teased and nudged
her with his arm when he walked by. He sat at the table to eat his breakfast.

"I
wish that was the case."She sat next to him at the table and sipped
her coffee.

"You
mean to tell me you've been at some chicks place all night and you didn't
do anything with her?"He looked at her skeptically.

"Yes,
things like that do happen."Dakota glanced up at him contemptuously.

"Not
with my sister. CHAD! Bro, get in here, now!"He shouted towards the
hall as he looked over his shoulder.

"Come
on man. Just leave it alone."She rolled her eyes and sipped her coffee.

"What
in the hell is the ruckus about?"Chad shuffled in while rubbing the
sleep out of his eyes. He pulled the chair out and plopped down next to his
sister.

"Wait
until you hear this, it's unbelievable."Owen was in disbelief
and looked from his brother then to his sister.

"Well,
tell me what the hell is going on?"He was becoming agitated by their
evasiveness. He grabbed the coffee from Dakota and took a sip.

"She
was at a chick's house all freaking night and did nothing with her!”

Chad jerked
upright at the comment and snapped his head towards his sister. "What?
Are you kidding me? Are you ill?”

"You
two are so freaking stupid at times."Dakota shook her head and stood
up. She walked to the coffee pot and poured another cup of coffee.

"Cut
us a break Kody. You have got to be kidding about this right?"

"Are
you are in love with her."Chad looked at his sister.

"Come
on, me, in love?"Dakota pointed at herself. "You are out of your
mind!"She laughed off the comment.

"Well,
how come nothing happened then?"

She sat
back down at the table. "We were at the anatomy lab and she passed out.
So, I went to her dorm room to find out if she was okay, but she was still
very upset. When I tried to leave she asked me to stay so I did and that's
the end of the story.”

"Is
it April fool's day or something? This is just unbelievable."Owen
looked at Chad and shook his head in disbelief.

"Who
is she?"Chad questioned and sipped his coffee.

"It's
Cass from the softball team.”

"The
one that is a student trainer?"Chad's voice squeaked as he looked
at his sister who nodded yes.

"So,
what is so special about her that caused you to be so compassionate?"

"Come
on Owen, give her a break. She is terrified of being around dead people. Are
you that ruthless that you don't care about how people feel?"She
was becoming annoyed with her brother's questions.

"Sorry,
I didn't know she had issues with the dead, but I get the feeling you
are not telling us the whole story about this girl."Owen looked at her
suspiciously.

"Okay,
yes I like this girl. She was at a softball camp with me when we were sixteen
and…well, the problem is she acts like she might be interested in me
and the next time she's cold."Dakota relented and gave into the
pressure.

"Did
it ever occur to you that maybe she's not gay? A lot can happen since
you were sixteen. I remember how timid, shy and naïve you used to be when
you were sixteen. Man, you have changed big time since then."Chad grinned
thinking back to that time.

Dakota
looked at her brother and thought about his question of Cass possibly not being
gay. He raised a doubt in her mind and thought it might explain Cass' attitude
towards her. "I just assumed she was gay."

"That might be your problem sis. You assumed too much. If you are into
her you need to find out if she's gay for sure or she might be a waste
of time with your emotions because it looks like you are very smitten with
this girl."Owen stood up and walked to the dishwasher to put his dishes
away.

"He's
right."Chad agreed with a slight smile.

Dakota
stared into her coffee and watched the cream move in a circle as she swirled
the cup. 'Have I been reading her completely wrong, that she's
straight?Is that why she won't talk about softball camp?' She
had a million thoughts running through her mind and grew angry that she was
so taken with Cass. "Oh, shut up. It's none of your business."She
snapped and stood up, then stormed off to her room.

"Since
when? We've always been in each other's business."Owen chuckled
and walked out the door to the garage.

Chad shook
his head in disbelief of the way his sister was reacting. 'This is
so not like her.' He shrugged his shoulders and walked back to his
room to bed.

Dakota
laid on her bed with her eyes closed. 'For my heart's sake,
I hope you didn't switch teams. Then I would have another chance with
you.' She jumped up and walked to the front door in a hurry when
she heard a knock. 'Cass?' She walked to the door excited
that she might be there to thank her for the previous night. She opened the
door and her smile quickly faded. "Leila.”

"Hey
baby. Where have you been?"She moved closer to Dakota and snuggled up
to her, and then kissed her on the cheek.

"Studying."It
was the only thing she could muster through the disappointment of not finding
Cass at the door.

"I'm
so hot for you. Take me."Leila pleaded and pressed her lips against
Dakota's.

Dakota
closed her eyes and saw Cass' face. She moved into the kiss and passionately
kissed her.

"Oh,
yes."Leila moaned and deepened the kiss. She broke the kiss and took
Dakota's hand. She led her down the hall to her bedroom.

'She's
not Cass, but she'll do.' Dakota thought when she entered
the bedroom.

"Hmmm?"Brooke
opened her eyes and looked over her shoulder. She smiled when she saw Michelle's
face staring down at her.

"Hey,
come on sleepy head, we need to get to class."Michelle leaned down and
kissed her on the cheek.

"Can't
we just stay here all day?"Brooke smiled and rolled onto her side, facing
Michelle. She gathered the brown-haired woman up in her arms and cuddled her
close.

"It
would be lovely, but coach would have our heads if she found out we skipped
class."She smiled and kissed Brooke on the cheek.

"You're
right. Okay, I'm going."Brooke reluctantly released her from the
confines of her arms and sat up on the side of the bed next to her. They looked
at each other and smiled happily. Brooke stood up and looked at Michelle. "I'll
see you at practice then?"

Michelle
stood up and faced her. "Well, hopefully we'll get to see each
other sooner than that."She grasped Brooke's hand in her own.

"Unfortunately,
I'm stuck in class right up to the time for practice."Brooke frowned
and walked towards the door still holding Michelle's hand.

"Bummer,
okay I'll have to wait to see you then, but you have to promise me that
we'll have dinner together right after practice."Michelle stood
face to face with her and pointed as if her request was a demand.

"Absolutely."Brooke
smiled and leaned in to kiss her. She stepped back and stared deep into her
brown eyes. "Aah, Michelle thanks for understanding for uhmmm, last night
and us…aah…"

"For
us not having sex on the first date?"She interjected out of mercy for
Brooke who stammered and fidgeted nervously.

Brooke
sighed relieved and laughed. "Yes, thank you for helping me! Ah, yes.
Snuggling all night was great though."She pointed out with a wide smile.

Michelle
moved closer to her and leaned to her ear. "Yes, especially with you."

Brooke
inhaled and held her breath when she heard the seductive response. She closed
her eyes and felt her heart race when Michelle lightly nibbled on her neck.
She moved her hands onto Michelle's back and pulled her closer. "That
feels so good."She said in a whisper and instantly felt wetness between
her legs.

Michelle
kissed along Brooke's jaw line and stopped at her lips. She pressed her
lips gently against Brooke's and licked her lips. Brooke sank into the
kiss and deepened it. Michelle broke the kiss and stared into her eyes, both
breathless. "I'll see you later."She smiled flirtatiously.

Brooke
inhaled deeply and exhaled, trying to catch her breath. "Yes, yes aah,
have a great day. I'll see you later."She stammered and turned
towards the door. She began to open the door and looked back at Michelle who
flashed a smoldering look. She gulped hard and pulled the door towards her
as she stepped. She opened the door into her foot and chuckled at her stupidity
as she looked back. "Sorry, aah, that kiss just knocked me for a loop."She
laughed nervously and stepped out of the way of the door.

Michelle
laughed and opened the door for her. "There are more where that came
from, later."She winked and snickered as Brooke stumbled out into the
hallway.

"I
hope so."Brooke smiled and stood staring one last time at the beautiful
brunette. She ran back and planted a fleeting kiss on her lips, then rushed
out of the room. "Bye!”

Michelle
laughed and walked out into the hall watching as Brooke scurry out of sight.

***

Cass had
finished drying off from a shower and walked around the room with a towel wrapped
around her as she gathered her clothes for the day. She was staring into her
closet and drifted off as she thought of Dakota holding her hand. She smiled
when she remembered how the touch had made her feel. 'Stop it! Get
her out of your mind. You are teammates and that's it!' She
turned towards the door with a jolt when Brooke burst through it. "You
scared the hell out of me! Is everything okay?"

"It's
glorious! Wonderful! I'm so happy!"Brooke informed her with an
enormous smile on her face. She walked towards Cass and stopped before her.

Cass furrowed
her brow, wondering what was up with her friend. "Don't even think
about pulling this towel off of me!"She warned and pointed her finger
at Brooke.

"The
only thing I have in my mind is Michelle.”

"That's
right, how was your date?"Cass asked excited and stepped away from Brooke.
She pulled out a pair of jeans and a long sleeved shirt.

"It
was wonderful. I think I'm in love."Brooke smiled wistfully and
laid on Cass' bed.

Cass chuckled
and walked to her bed. She looked down at Brooke and the smile on her face
was irremovable. "Did you sleep with her?"

"We
slept in the same bed, but we did not have sex. She was so sweet when I told
her that I didn't want to do it on the first date."

"My
dear friend, are you an old fashioned girl?"Cass chuckled and took her
clothes into the bathroom to change. She left the door opened a crack so she
could hear the answer.

"Nope,
I just didn't want to come across as being easy. Plus, I wanted to leave
something up to the imagination."Brooke laughed and stood up. She walked
to her side of the room and rifled through her drawers for something to wear.

Cass dressed
quickly and exited the bathroom. "It's always a good thing to keep
them on their toes."She laughed as did Brooke.

"Trust
me; I won't keep her on her toes for very long. I am more in to her than
I have ever been with anyone in my entire life. She has swept me off my feet."Brooke
smiled and patted her chest to calm her rapidly beating heart.

Cass stared
at her and smiled, excited to see how happy her friend was. "That's
wonderful. I'm very happy for you."

Brooke
carried her clothes towards the bathroom. "Thanks, I appreciate it."She
smiled when she looked back at Cass. "Oh, damn I forgot. How did your
studying session go last night?"

Cass saw
the happiness in her friend's eyes and didn't want to ruin her
mood. "Oh, it was fine. She was very helpful."She half smiled
and turned her back to Brooke. 'If she only knew.' She
picked up her backpack.

"I'm
glad to hear she wasn't mean to you."Brooke walked into the bathroom
and put her clothes down. "Hey, do you want to grab some breakfast after
I take a shower?”

"No
but thanks. I need to stop by the bookstore before my class. I'll see
you at practice."Cass smiled and walked to the door.

"Okay,
bye. Oh, will you grab some of those little cloth gator stickers. I'd
like to put one on my license plate?"Brooke stuck her head out the bathroom
door towards Cass.

"Sure,
thanks for reminding me. I'll get one for my car too. Bye!"Cass
smiled and walked out the door.

"Bye
and thanks!"She shouted as the door was being closed.

***

"So,
Kody where are you from?"Cass looked over at her.

Dakota
was unpacking her bag and looked at her. She inhaled deeply and exhaled,
taken by her beauty. She looked back down at her bag, frightened by how this
woman made her feel. "I'm from Daytona Beach. And you?"She
glanced over at her and sat on the bed.

"I
bet it's a lot of fun growing up in Daytona and I'm sure it's
much warmer than Ogunquit Maine, where I'm from."She chuckled.

Dakota
laughed. "I would imagine so, but I'm sure Maine has some great
points other than the cold weather. Like aah, lobsters, yeah you have great
lobsters."She knew nothing about Maine except that they were notorious
for lobsters and cold weather. 'She makes me so nervous.' She
smiled shyly as she looked at her. Her heart raced faster when Cass walked
towards her.

She
stopped in front of her and looked down smiling flirtatiously. "Yes,
we are famous for our lobsters and if I remember correctly, Daytona has a
reputation for having the world's most famous beach, the largest car
and motorcycle races, spring break and beautiful women such as you."

Dakota
chuckled and smiled bashfully. "I see that Maine has more than lobsters,
they too have beautiful women."

"Not
one's as pretty as you Dakota. Do you have a girlfriend?"She
asked softly, staring into the enticing blues before her.

"No,
but I'm looking."She smiled flirtatiously.

Dakota's
thoughts were interrupted when Leila exited the bathroom and asked, "What
are you thinking so intently about?"She stared at Dakota who lay staring
out of the clear window above her

Dakota was disappointed her thoughts of Cass were interrupted as she looked
at the clouds through the window. She wished she were lying in her arms.

She turned
her head to the side when she felt a pressure next to her on the bed and was
disappointed. She looked at Leila who stared at her. "What?”

"Didn't
you hear me?”

"No,
what did you say."She sneered, looking at Leila. 'What the
hell was I thinking about being with her last night?' She regretted
her choice for a sleeping partner.

"I
asked what you were thinking so intently about. Or should I ask, who were you
thinking so intently about? Was it that new girl on your team? What's
her name? Candy, aah Cory."She knew Dakota was lying to her about the
previous night and felt a wave of jealousy consume her. 'She was
probably with that little tart I had an argument with at Fat Tuesday's.'

Dakota
looked at her scornfully and sat up. "You know her name is Cass and she
is also none of your business."Her tone was stern and her look was even
colder. She slid past her on the bed and stood up. She walked to the window
and stared out.

Leila stared
angrily at Dakota who stood naked with her back turned to her. "The hell
it is. I have a right to know who you're thinking about."She stood
up and walked towards her.

Dakota's
anger with her questions brewed deep within and she turned to face her. "What
makes you think you have a right to know who I'm thinking about? We have
no attachments.”

"We've
been seeing each other for four years that should entitle me to know what is
going on."Leila's tone was angry.

"It
entitles you to nothing. How many times do I have to tell you I'm not
your girlfriend and remind you that we have an open relationship?"Dakota
moved closer to her and stared her in the eye.

"If
you're not my girlfriend then what are you to me then?”

"I'm
someone who has sex on occasion with you and nothing more. That has always
been the agreement."Dakota's voice resonated louder.

"But
I love you!"Leila spat and began to cry.

Dakota
was caught off guard and stood staring at her.

"What
does that girl have that I don't? We were fine before she came along.
I can love you more than she can! I love you so much!"She moved closer
to Dakota and cried harder. She reached to hold her and Dakota backed away
from her advance.

"I told you before there was only one person I would ever love and that
was not you. You knew that and accepted it until now."She reminded coldly.

Leila's anger welled and she was insulted. She moved her hand to slap
Dakota, but was quickly stopped. "Ouch."She grimaced when Dakota
grasped her wrist tightly.

Dakota gripped harder and pulled her closer forcefully. Her eyes widened with
rage at what she attempted to do. "Don't ever raise your hand to
me again. You know my feelings about that!"She glared at Leila to emphasize
her point.

Leila grew anxious from the look in Dakota's eyes.

"I would really appreciate it if you would leave."Dakota pushed
Leila's hand away and glared at her.

"Kody, you don't mean that."Leila cried in desperation.

Dakota grabbed the woman's clothing from the bed and her shoes from
the floor. She held them out to her. "We had an agreement that you refuse
to abide by so it has to be this way."She put them in her arms and put
her hand on her back, turning her towards the door.

"Please."Leila pleaded tearfully.

Dakota inhaled deeply then exhaled as she looked down at the ground when Leila
stood before her. She glanced up with fire in her eyes. "Don't
make this any harder than it already is Leila."

Leila stared at her in disbelief and anger. "Fuck you!"She yelled
when she walked away.

"Whatever."Dakota retorted and walked behind her. She stood waiting
as Leila put her clothes on and opened the door when she was finished.

Leila inhaled to keep her emotions in check as she stared at Dakota, hoping
she would reconsider. "Kody."

"No, I don't want this anymore. It's time for us to move
on."Dakota nudged her out the door, and then slammed it behind her.
She walked to the window and looked out. She watched her climb into her car
and back out of the driveway.

Leila stopped the car and looked back at the house. "How can she discard
me like that for the other chick? I can't allow that to happen. I need
Dakota in more ways than one. I won't lose her or the celebrity lifestyle
that surrounds her."She pushed down on the accelerator and the car sped
away.